Essay name: Paumacariya (critical study)
Author:
K. R. Chandra
Affiliation: Research institute of Prakrit, Jainology and Ahimsa Vaishali
This is a critical study of the Paumacariya: the earliest Jain version of Rama's life story, written in Prakrit by Vimalasuri dating to the 4th century AD. In this text, Rama (referred to as Padma) is depicted with lotus-like eyes and a blooming face. The Paumacariya places emphasis on the human aspects of characters rooted in Jain values, contrasting with the divine portrayal in Valmiki鈥檚 version.
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70
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
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R膩va峁嘺 passes over Pamp膩 and arrives at Lanka鹿. He first puts her
in his harem (3.54.13), not in any park. Here R膩vana is said to have
commissioned eight R膩k峁sas to work as spies in the Janasth膩na and
to kill R膩ma and Lak峁a峁嘺 (3.54.18-29). He implores S墨t膩 to become
his wife. He shows her the wealth and the splendour of Lanka (3.35).
S墨t膩 rebukes him. R膩va峁嘺 threatens to kill her in a year if she does
not yield to him. He appoints the R膩k峁s墨s having hateful figures to
take her to A艣okav膩峁璱k膩 and to guard her there (3.56). There is no
reference to Mandodari's advice to use force on S墨t膩. At one place
before the expulsion of Vibh墨峁峁嘺 from Lank膩, Mah膩p膩r艣va requests
R膩va峁嘺 to use force虏 on S墨t膩 but R膩va峁嘺 declines to do so on account
of the fear of a curse of Brahm膩 that he (R膩va峁嘺) will die if he uses
force on any unwilling woman (6.13). R膩va峁嘺 was cursed to that
effect when he had once molested Pu帽jikasthal膩. There is no mention
of Ravana's request to Mandodari to persuade Sit盲 to yield to him.
In the Sundarak膩峁囜笉a Hanumat鲁 is said to have secretly observed that
R膩va峁嘺 along with the ladies of his harem went to S墨t膩 and tried to
seduce her by putting various allurements before her. S墨t膩 bitterly
condemns him (5.18,20); that various R膩k峁s墨s tried to frighten S墨t膩
with their ugly and hideous forms (5.24) but S墨t膩 did not yield even at
the risk of her life (5.25.3). It does not refer directly to the intervention
of Vibh墨峁峁嘺, but S墨t膩 is said to have told Hanumat that once Kal膩, the
daughter of Vibh墨峁峁嘺 informed her that Vibh墨峁峁嘺 requested R膩va峁�
to release her (S墨t膩) but R膩vana did not pay any heed to it
(5.37. 9-11).
According to the TR R膩vana approaches S墨t膩 in the disguise of a
yati (Jati ke帽 ve峁Ｄ� 3.28). While taking her away by force, R膩vana in
his heart happily bows to her feet (mana mahu carana vandi sukha
m膩n膩). The account of the Ja峁亂u agrees with VR. On the way S墨t膩
S墨t膩 was
drops her clothes on a hill where some monkeys were sitting.
taken to the A艣oka-vana of Lank膩 (3.29). It does not mention the
1.
There is no reference to the intervention of Ratnaja峁璱n of Kambudvipa to
rescue S墨t膩 from R膩va峁嘺. But S奴p膩rsva, the son of Samp膩ti (and nephew
of Jatayu) is said to have let R膩vana pass freely when the former was in
search of food on the sea-shore-side of the Mahendragiri. Sup膩rsva first
thought of killing them for his food but he gave way to them when R膩va峁嘺
implored for the same (4.59.13-18). The Kambudvipa of the PCV and
Kabandha of the VR has some similarity in name. (See Sec. 5E).
2. Also see 5.20.6 (evam caivamak膩ma峁� tva峁� na ca sprak峁膩mi Maithili).
3. The PCV does not refer to any such secret observation by Hanumat.
4. In the interpolated section of the VR (5.54. after 7.37) it is stated that R膩va峁嘺
guarded S墨t膩 as his mother.
